SB1: appeal

I have talked about this video a lot on my Studio Practice blog and how much it helped with the development of my 505 module. The video talks about the use of exaggeration in your characters to create more appeal to the viewers. I gained a lot of knowledge from this video as someone who always used to draw the same characters. Although this is an Animation principle, I think it still relates to anyone who wants to do character design. For me, I would like to do character design FOR animation so it's really helpful. When I watched this video it gave me a new outlook on how to look at my characters and how I can change them to make them more interesting. YouTube has been a really interesting way for me to find inspiration and techniques in Character Designing which I am really interested in.

SB1: scott watanabe's blog

After looking at Scott Watanabe again for a recent project in Illustration 2, I have discovered a different blog of his where he goes into more detail about his work and what it was like working for Disney.

I even found the post where he mentions that he has moved to Burbank to study at Disney as a trainee!

Reading his blog has been really interesting. Especially in the times before he was working at Disney, or his time as a trainee. It feels more like I'm reading something coming from someone my own age and I can relate to more. It's interesting to see how he talks and how much his artwork has grown since working for Disney.

I hope that in the future I can have a blog like this where I eventually get to say that I'm going on to do bigger and better things! It's really interesting for someone like me who is a fan of his work to read a more informal insight into his work.

creative report: what I think

So I decided to make a little post with some thoughts on this brief and what I think has been really interesting or helpful. As someone who doesn't have a lot of confidence and suffers from quite severe anxiety, at first the prospect of emailing someone was terrifying. I do not do well with talking to strangers or the changing of situations. I like being comfortable. 

So at first, of course, I was mortified when I heard the briefing. Having to email a real person?!?! What if I just annoyed them? What if they told me to bugger off?! What if it made me not want to be an illustrator anymore?! Of course these sorts of questions are just things my brain likes to come up with as some sort of coping mechanism and preparation for the worst.

However, I have to say that this brief has been really eye-opening for me. In the end I decided to email someone that I had been following as an illustrator for a while, this is because I am quite acquainted with her work and comfortable at the thought of talking to her as she is similar in age and seems down to earth. When I got her first response it was a really exciting time for me. She got back to me fairly quickly and seemed really lovely. It made me feel not as scared to ask her more questions.

After this experience with Helena, I think that in the future I would be more comfortable with emailing more practitioners that I admire, as I know now that it is actually quite humbling for them to be emailed by a 'fan' and want to help them.

creative report: helena's response

So I got a response from Helena for the questions that I sent her!

Hi Bethany!

Apologies this is a few days late! I got busy over the weekend, but here we are:

2. What is it like being an independent illustrator?

It is difficult. You have to really want it, be dedicated, and be self motivated. You might start out like me (and probably a few others) working to live in a numb job, and having to fit illustration in around it. Working long after your shift and days off on your practice. You have to be savvy, and unashamed to push your work on every platform. To hashtag the hell out of it. You have to dream big and reach out and deal with knock backs (and no replies). Some days you’ll hate your work (everything you’ve done) and you’ll compare yourself. Somedays you’ll wish it was a steadier job. The independent part is incredible and it’s terrifying. You pick what work to take and when you do it and how you do it- but it wont come to you, you have to make everything happen. And you have to want it all enough to make it happen. I haven’t got their yet, I’m still learning a lot and my work is developing A LOT and I’m sure that once I’ve found my feet it wont seem quite so tough. Despite everything I’m so incredibly happy to do it and wouldn’t be satisfied doing anything else.

3. How hard was it to step into the industry coming out of university? Did you have any difficulties?

I think when you leave you have to hit the ground running. (I didn’t do that, however). I could have put in more effort on more days, and got to where I am faster (and maybe beyond!) I left uni and worked on my illustration around a full time job- in hindsight I wished I’d have worked less hours, and given more to my illustration. Maybe it’s part of the leaving-uni-pressure-for-immediate-success talking (that cripples all grads) but I think that when you graduate it’s important to just go full force into your practice!

4. I sometimes struggle trying to figure out where I sit (my work) in the industry, did you have that struggle? And if so how did you persevere?

*unanswered*

5. What do you most enjoy to work on as an illustrator?

I’m making a book at the moment, that’s very personal and for some really cool people, and i’m enjoying that a lot. You can’t always do exactly what you want when it comes to illustration if you have a client, but having the freedom to put a bit of your self (experiences, feelings etc.) into it is refreshing, and what I enjoy most. Those pieces are often stronger and more engaging, because they have a realness and a relatability. 

6. If you could give yourself some advice whilst studying at Uni looking back, what would you have said?

Work harder Helena! Talk more openly about your work. USE THE STUDIO. Draw everyday/ keep a drawing journal. Take uni more seriously. Apply to more competitions. Go to all the workshops where they teach you Creative Suite. Listen/ ask the tutors more. Question your own work more. Don’t take the first drawing as the one you’ll use. Try harder with screen printing. Find more context for your own work. Don’t look too much at other people’s work- look more at real life sources. Leave time with deadlines to be able to walk away when it doesn’t look/feel right, and return to it later. Approach more companies.

7. I see you've recently started to break into the motion graphics bracket, what made you decide to take this leap? Are you enjoying it?

I started experimenting with animation at uni, as I’ve always found it a really compelling visual method that can elicit emotion, sometimes much easier than a flat image. I also loved bringing the characters I created a bit more to life, showing their personality in how they move! It’s long and tedious at times, but I find if I’m really into it I have all the patience in the world for it.

I answered the questions in an odd order and ran out of time to finish question 4- hope you don’t mind (I can come back to it if we have enough time). I hope the answers are helpful! I tried to just be honest.

Again I’m so thrilled you came to me. It’s such a confidence boost for me and I can only hope I’ve been of help. Come back whenever you have any more questions!

Oh and let me know if there are any problems with what i’ve sent.

All the best,

Hel x

I am really happy with the response that I got from her, the answers to my questions were so in depth and helpful. I am glad that I decided to reach out to her because I think she is similar to me in a lot of ways, she is not that long fresh into the industry so it's really good to hear her insight on her tips for university etc. I think because she hasn't been like 10 years in the industry, she also has a good understanding about what it's like breaking into the industry in a more modern world. The world is always changing so it's nice to get advice from someone who is trying it in the same time as me. 

The creative industry is so much bigger and broader now, so there is a lot more competition than there used to be, that's why I think it was good for me to talk to Hel, because she is so down to earth and knows exactly what it's like.

creative report: my final questions & email

So the final questions that I decided to ask Helena were:

2. What is it like being an independent illustrator?

3. How hard was it to step into the industry coming out of university? Did you have any difficulties?

4. I sometimes struggle trying to figure out where I sit (my work) in the industry, did you have that struggle? And if so how did you persevere? 

5. What do you most enjoy to work on as an illustrator?

6. If you could give yourself some advice whilst studying at Uni looking back, what would you have said?

7. I see you've recently started to break into the motion graphics bracket, what made you decide to take this leap? Are you enjoying it?

They are quite simple questions in the end because I didn't want to overwhelm her with such deep and invasive questions. I did want to find out more about her university life, so that I can get some tips for how to survive the next year! I think this may be one of her first interviews so I wanted to ask some of the basic questions, which is why I added in the top 'What's it like being an independent illustrator' because I know that she does a lot of individual projects and doesn't work in a collective/studio.

I also asked her about stepping into the industry coming out of university. I decided to ask her this as it's something that I am concerned with about my own practice and how difficult it may be to get into the industry so soon. I wanted to know if it was hard for her, not just as a reassurance that it doesn't come easy, but also as a reassurance that it is possible. 

My fourth question was also something that I personally struggle with myself, sitting myself in the industry. I wanted to ask if she had this struggle herself, and how she got out of it. I think at first a lot of people don't know exactly what they want to do so I thought it would be good for me to have some tips on if it happened to her and how she persevered with it and if I can do the same.

I wanted to ask her a more relaxed question about her as an illustrator so asking what she enjoyed most was more for myself to find out more about her. She does quite a range of different things, so it would be interesting to find out which one she enjoys the most and if it's maybe something that I could try out in the future.

My sixth question, again, was for some piece of mind whilst being at university. Knowing that she has recently gone through university herself, I thought it would be good for me to discover some tips from her about things that she would have told herself. I decided to ask this because I didn't want all the questions to be about the future, I wanted to know about some things that she would tell herself in the past or would do differently. This could be a good reflection time for herself and a good insight for me.

The last question was about her interest in animation. Lots of illustrators are recently getting into using motion graphics in their work and I think it's a really interesting thing. I wanted to find out more about why she chose to do this, and if it's something that she enjoys because I myself wouldn't mind trying it in the future so I want someone's insight on whether it's worth it.

Some of my email is me getting a bit excited on the prospect of talking to her so do excuse my little 'fangirling'. But I am really excited to hear her response and getting to talk to her is a huge confidence booster for me as I thought most practitioners would find this process tedious.

creative report: the first reply!

I got my first response from Helena! I'm really excited, it feels kind of surreal talking to someone that I've looked up to for a while. She seems to be really keen about answering my questions, which makes me feel a lot more comfortable about asking them to her and knowing that it won't just be a nuisance for her. 

She said I 'made her day' which was really lovely to hear. Maybe she doesn't get told enough about how great her work is? I'm glad that I can do that for her and I think that emailing her with some questions and seeing what she answers will be really interesting!

scribbleblog: who do i want to be?

I have been known as @Scribbleblog for a few years now, on Instagram and on Facebook. Recently I have been thinking, is this the name that I want to be known by? As I develop my practice more, I find myself wanting people to know who it is behind the artwork. I wouldn't want to be known as Scribbleblog but as my real name, Beth. 

When I think about wanting to break into the professional industry, I find myself wondering if this is really a name that stands out and will attract people's attention or will they just overlook it. However, I feel like my real name Bethany Hampson just isn't interesting either. I need to find a way to incorporate my name into my social media but without using 'Hampson' because I just really don't like it.

I don't know why I am writing this on the blog, I feel like jotting my thoughts down on this process to becoming a professional is important for me not only now, as writing down your thoughts can somehow help you have a clearer view of them, but also for the future as something that I can look back on and remember.